Difference between revisions of "May Pole"

Latest revision as of 00:10, 27 September 2017

Just to the north of the door leading to the Wheatsheaf Inn

Curwen, 1900 p 161-165

Here about was the town's maypole, around which the boys and girls of Kendal have laughed and sung throughout many gladsome days. When cutting the gas main trenches in 1825 the workmen came upon the stonework which had secured the foot of the pole, just a little to the north of the door leading to the "Wheat Sheaf Inn".

The ancient ceremony of maying and morris-dancing was celebrated here by processions parading the streets immediately after sunrise, the boys with their "May gads" (willow wands twined with cowlslips), and the lasses with their "brats" (aprons) full of flowers, young and old singing in chorus "We have brought the summer home". The origin of the chief customs and superstitions connected with the holiday may be traced back to an annual gathering held in honour of Maia, the mother of of Marcury, at Ostia, a town situated some sixteen miles rom Rome. This festival in later days was incorporated with the feast of Flora, which commenced on April 27th, and lasted several days. Both men and women participated in the sports, and all who attended were decorated with garlands. Over the doors of dwellings were branches bearing fruits and flowers, and the gallants of Rome cut down young trees and brought and set them up before the houses of their mistresses. By degrees, however, the forests became denuded of young growth, so that to prevent this destruction it was ordered that a tall shaft or pole, ornamented with garlands, should be substituted, and from this practice comes our English May pole. But when the Puritan power became dominant in 1589, the local authorities were called upon to suppress "May-games, bull-baits, and other enormities". When James 1st passed through the country in 1617 he issued the famous document known as the "Book of Sports". This was re-issued, with a new preface, by Charles I. in 1633, by which time His Majesty came to the assistance of his pleasure loving subjects, and declared that "after the end of divine service his good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recreations; nor from having May-games, Whitsun-ales, and Morris-dances, and the setting up of May poles". A few years later Parliament again showed its disapproval and in 1644 issued an order in which it is stated "because the profanation of Lord's day hath been heretofore greatly occasioned by May poles (a heathen vanity, greatly abused to superstitions and wickedness), the Lords and Commons do further order and ordain that all and singular May poles that are or shall be erected shall be taken down by the constables and churchwardens of the parishes, where the same shall be; and that no May pole shall; be set up, erected or suffered to be within this kingdom of England or dominion of Wales. The said officers to be fined five shillings weekly until the May pole be taken down".

After the Restoration the May pole was once more raised in the land, and remained with us in Kendal until the year 1792, when it had to be removed to accommodate vehicular traffic. The festival, however, still lingered for very many years, the young assembling in the Vicar's fields on Easter Tuesday, and after spending the afternoon there they returned through the streets "threading grand needles".

"Come, lasses and lads, take leave of your dads,

And away to the May pole hie;

For every he has got a she,

And the minstrel's standing by.

For Willie has gotten his Jill,

And Johnny has got his Joan,

To jig it, jig it, jig it,

Jig it up and down.

'Strike up,' says Wat, 'Agreed,' says Kate

'And I prithee, fiddler, play';

'Content,' says Hodge, and so says Madge,

For this is holiday.

For every man did put

His hat off to his lass,

And every girl did curchy,

Curchy, curchy on the grass.

'Let's kiss,' says Jane, 'Content,' says Nan,

And so says every she;

'How many?' says Batt, 'Why three,' says Matt

'For that's a maiden's fee.'

But they, instead of three,

Did give them half a score,

And they in kindness gave 'em, gave 'em,

Gave 'em as many more

Then after an hour they went to a bower,

And played for ale and cakes;

And kisses, too, - until they were due

The lasses kept the stakes.

The girls did then begin

To quarrel with the men;

And bid 'em take their kisses back,

And give them their own again.

Yet there they sate, until it was late,

And tired the fiddler quite,

With singing and playing, without any paying,

From morning unto night.

They told the fiddler then,

They'd pay him for his play;

And each a two-pence, two-pence

Gave him and went away.

'Good-night,' says Harry, 'Good-night,' says Mary,

'Good-night,' says Dolly to John;

'Good-night,' says Sue, 'Good-night,' says Hugh,

'Good-night,' says every one.

Some walked and some did run,

Some loitering on the way;

And bound themselves with love-knots, love-knots,

To meet the next holiday."